Background

Three projects are available starting in 2012 under the theme of climate change and physiological ecology. These projects form part of a broader research program which investigates the potential of ectotherms to buffer climate change via microsite selection, shifts in metabolic costs, and the plasticity of locomotor performance. By integrating theoretical and empirical approaches, this project will improve the formulation of a predictive model of thermoregulation based on energetic gains and losses coupled with climate variability. It also addresses the potential effects of climate change and plant invasions on habitat thermal quality of ectotherms.

Projects

• Test the predictions and assumptions of the cost-benefit model of thermoregulation in the laboratory using an insect model system.
• Test the predictions and assumptions of the cost-benefit model of thermoregulation in laboratory and field settings using a lizard model system.
• Assess if lizard communities differ between native habitat and sites invaded by alien plants in the Western Cape Province, and test if the loss of thermal habitat quality may explain shifts in species composition, richness and abundance.

Key contacts

Interested candidates should send applications by email to Susana Clusella-Trullas: sct333@sun.ac.za and see http://clusellatrullas.blogspot.com/ for additional information.

Applications should include a cover letter stating motivation for doing the project, an updated academic CV including exam transcripts and contact information (telephone and email) of two referees.

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Background

Several of the most widespread and damaging invasive plant species in South Africa come from the genus Acacia (in particular Acacia baileyana; A. dealbata; A. decurrens; and A. mearnsii). However, little is understood about the introduction history (e.g. number of independent introductions, origins of introductions, etc.) and infra-specific identities of the invasive population. Understanding the source population of a weed is being increasingly recognised as a core component in the search for classical biological control agents (Goolsby et al. 2006). National weed management plans and weed risk analyses often use case studies or data in one part of the country to inform strategies in another part, but this may ignore underlying population genetic structure that would be expected to change through time. The success of climate matching in projecting risk also assumes uniform intra-specific variation either within in the introduced range through time, or between the introduced and native ranges. Many wattles have been introduced for agro-forestry purposes to South Africa and have been planted extensively in monocultures. An additional focus of this research project would be to determine the role of these plantations in facilitating invasions, i.e. act as sources of propagules. This project will be part of a major research focus of the C·I·B on Australian Acacia introduction both in South Africa and around the world.

This is a project suitable for students interested in molecular biology, evolutionary biology, ecology, and social history that want to work as part of an inter-disciplinary team. The candidates have to be willing to spend periods working in Australia.

Key contacts

• Dr Jaco Le Roux, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (jleroux@sun.ac.za)
• Dr John Wilson, South African National Biodiversity Institute / Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (jrwilson@sun.ac.za)
• Prof David Richardson, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University

Further reading:

• Goolsby, J.A., De Barro, P.J., Makinson, J.R., Pemberton, R.W., Hartley, D.M., Frohlich, D.R., 2006. Matching the origin of an invasive weed for selection of a herbivore haplotype for a biological control programme. Molecular Ecology, 15, 287-297.
• Ellstrand NC, Schierenbeck KA (2000) Hybridization as a stimulus for the evolution of invasiveness in plants? Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 97, 7041–7050.
• Le Roux, J. J., Brown, G. K., Byrne, M., Ndlovu, J., Richardson, D. M., Thompson, G. D. & Wilson, J. R. U. (2011) Phylogeographic consequences of different introduction histories of invasive Australian Acacia species and Paraserianthes lophantha (Fabaceae) in South Africa. Diversity and Distributions, 17, 861–871.
• Le Roux, J. J. & Wieczorek, A. M. (2009) Molecular systematics and population genetics of biological invasions: towards a better understanding of invasive species management. Annals of Applied Biology, 154, 1–17.
• Prentis, P. J., Wilson, J. R. U., Dormontt, E. E., Richardson, D. M. & Lowe, A. J. (2008) Adaptive evolution in invasive species. Trends in Plant Science, 13, 288–294.
• Richardson, D. M., Carruthers, J., Hui, C., Impson, F. A. C., Miller, J. T., Robertson, M. P., Rouget, M., le Roux, J. J. & Wilson, J. R. U. (2011) Human-mediated introductions of Australian acacias — a global experiment in biogeography. Diversity and Distributions, 17, 771–787.

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Background

Members of the legume family (Fabaceae) form unique mutualistic relationship with soil bacteria commonly known as rhizobia. These bacteria are capable of forming root nodules, furnishing their legume host plants with fixed atmospheric nitrogen in exchange for carbon compounds. This may be an important, but up until now, overlooked determinant in the success of legume invasions in nutrient-poor soils such as those found in the Cape fynbos. This project will use molecular systematic approached to quantify diversity of bacteria associated with selective wattles (within the genus Acacia) from both native Australian and invasive South African populations. The fitness attributes associated with mutualistic relationships will also be quantified. This project will be part of a major research focus of the C·I·B on Australian Acacia introduction both in South Africa and around the world.

This is a project suitable for students interested in molecular biology, evolutionary biology, ecology, and microbiology that want to work as part of an inter-disciplinary team. The candidates have to be willing to possibly spend periods working in Australia.

Key contacts

• Dr Jaco Le Roux, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (jleroux@sun.ac.za)
• Prof David Richardson, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University
• Dr John Wilson, South African National Biodiversity Institute / Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (jrwilson@sun.ac.za)

Further reading:

• Rodríguez-Echeverría, S., Crisóstomo, J.A., Nabais, C., Freitas, H, 2009. Belowground mutualists and the invasive ability of Acacia longifolia in coastal dunes of Portugal. Biological Invasions 11:651-661.
• Vitousek, P.M. Walker, L.R, 1989. Biological invasion by Myrica faya in Hawai'i: Plant demography, nitrogen fixation, ecosystem effects. Ecological Monographs 59:247-265.
• Rodríguez-Echeverría, S., Le Roux, J. J., Crisóstomo, J. A. & Ndlovu, J. (2011) Jack-of-all-trades and master of many? How does associated rhizobial diversity influence the colonization success of Australian Acacia species? Diversity and Distributions, 17, 946–957.

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Background

Acacia cyclops, commonly known as Rooikrans, was introduced to South Africa on at least two occasions and in very high numbers for dune stabilization. It quickly became one of the most noxious and dominant invasive species in western and southern coastal areas in South Africa, and is now considered a transformer species occupying a vast range, especially in the fynbos biome.

The proposed research aims to elucidate how contemporary forces of evolution such as admixture between previously allopatric gene lineages and strong genetic drift influence the overall fitness of Acacia cyclops in South Africa and its interactions with one of its biological control agents, the cecidomyiid gall midge, Dasineura dielsi Rübsaamen. Invasive species are often treated as evolutionary-uniform entities, i.e. all native populations share the same evolutionary history, and therefore the same biotic and abiotic interactions. This may seriously hamper theoretical and practical understanding of species interactions as these are never uniform across species distributions. The proposed research will therefore not only inform theory on spatial and temporal variation in plant-animal interactions but can also be applied to sciences related to biological control of invasive plants in general.

This research project will use a population genetic approach to (1) Determine the fine-scale native range provenances in Australia of invasive A. cyclops populations in South Africa, (2) Determine the spatial extent of admixture within South African populations and (3) to determine whether evolutionary co-diversification occurred between A. cyclops and D. dielsi in Australia. Data from aims 2 and 3 will be used to test whether any correlation exists between agent (D. dielsi) and host interactions in the field in South Africa and levels of admixture. Lastly, by growing plants obtained from throughout South Africa and Australia under common garden conditions, the proposed research will aim to (4) elucidate the evolutionary consequences of admixture on invasiveness, specifically testing for EICA.

Key contacts

• Dr Jaco Le Roux, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (jleroux@sun.ac.za)
• Prof David Richardson, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University
• Dr John Wilson, South African National Biodiversity Institute / Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (jrwilson@sun.ac.za)

Further reading:

• Blossey, B., and Nötzold, R. (1995) Evolution of increased competitive ability in invasive nonindigenous plants: a hypothesis. Journal of Ecology, 83, 887-889.
• Keller, S.R. and Taylor, D.R. (2008) History, chance, and adaptation during biological invasion: separating stochastic phenotypic evolution from response to selection. Ecology Letters, 11, 852-866.
• Le Roux, J. J., Brown, G. K., Byrne, M., Ndlovu, J., Richardson, D. M., Thompson, G. D. & Wilson, J. R. U. (2011) Phylogeographic consequences of different introduction histories of invasive Australian Acacia species and Paraserianthes lophantha (Fabaceae) in South Africa. Diversity and Distributions, 17, 861–871.

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Background

“One’s ideas must be as broad as Nature if they are to interpret Nature” – AC Doyle (1887)

The structure of regional ecological assemblages or communities reflects the interplay of multiple ecological, evolutionary and environmental processes working at different temporal and spatial scales. Macroecology is the study of patterns emerging at broad scales and their potential mechanisms. Biological invasion, as an important macroecological processes, has been recognized as one of the eminent drivers of biodiversity loss. Invasive organisms introduced from their native species assemblage into a novel community perform differently. Such difference in the invasiveness could have already been exhibited in the macroecological patterns in both the native and invaded communities. Pilot studies of Australian Acacias from our team have suggested that macroecological patterns of species distributions can, to a certain degree, indicate species’ invasiveness. This PhD project will thus be to place the macroecology in a phylogenetic context and further explore the potential linkage of species invasiveness to the macroecological patterns of other major traits and niche differentiation.

This project will be part of a major research focus of the C·I·B on Australian Acacia introductions both in South Africa and around the world. Students who are interested and competent in spatial, community, global, or computational ecology are cordially invited to apply.

Key contacts

• Dr Cang Hui, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (chui@sun.ac.za)
• Prof David Richardson, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University
• Dr John Wilson, South African National Biodiversity Institute / Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (jrwilson@sun.ac.za)

Further reading:

• Brown JH. (1995) Macroecology. Chicago U Press, Chicago.
• Gaston KJ, Blackburn TM (2000) Pattern and process in macroecology. Blackwell, Oxford.
• Hui, C., Richardson, D. M., Robertson, M. P., Wilson, J. R. U. & Yates, C. Y. (2011) Macroecology meets invasion ecology: linking native distribution of Australian acacias to invasiveness. Diversity and Distributions, 17, 872–883.
• Richardson, D. M., Carruthers, J., Hui, C., Impson, F. A. C., Miller, J. T., Robertson, M. P., Rouget, M., le Roux, J. J. & Wilson, J. R. U. (2011) Human-mediated introductions of Australian acacias — a global experiment in biogeography. Diversity and Distributions, 17, 771–787.
• Storch D, Marquet PA, Brown JH (2007) Scaling biodiversity. Cambridge U Press, Cambridge.

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Background

The movement of plants around the world by the horticultural trade has historically been one of the major proximate causes of biological invasions. Legislation is currently being amended in South Africa as part of the National Envionmental Management: Biodiversity Act to restrict the use of and trade in species that pose a high invasion risk to South Africa. One recommendation is that cultivars of species listed as invasive (or potentially invasive) that have an acceptable invasion risk (e.g. through sterility) are explicitly specified in and exempt from the regulations.

The purpose of the studentship would be to develop tests that are necessary and sufficient to allow the cultivation of plants that would otherwise be regulated under NEM:BA. This would involve experimental tests of particular cultivars, an in-depth analysis in a particular group, and the development of a risk assessment protocol. They would also potentially shed light on species boundaries in plants. As such it is expected to produce both practical guidelines, and evolutionary insights that are publishable in top international journals. The project has the potential to link with the Early Detection and Rapid Response program of SANBI.

This is a project suitable for students interested in molecular biology, evolutionary biology, ecology, and horticulture.

Key contacts

• Dr John Wilson, South African National Biodiversity Institute / Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (jrwilson@sun.ac.za)
• Dr Jaco Le Roux, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (jleroux@sun.ac.za)
• Prof David Richardson, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University

Further reading:

• Dehnen-Schmutz K, Touza J, Perrings C and Williamson M (2007) A century of the ornamental plant trade and its impact on invasion success. Diversity and Distributions 13: 527-534
• Pemberton RW and Liu H (2009) Marketing time predicts naturalization of horticultural plants. Ecology 90: 69-80
• Reichard SH and White P (2001) Horticulture as a pathway of invasive plant introductions in the United States. BioScience 51: 103-113
• Wilson RL and Hoch WA (2009) Identification of Sterile, Noninvasive Cultivars of Japanese Spirea. HortScience 44: 2031-2034

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Background

Earthworms play a major role as ecosystem engineers in both natural and agricultural systems. They are also increasingly being used for soil improvement, composting, waste disposal, and as bait for angling. However there has been no scientific assessment of whether these uses pose a risk to South African biodiversity. Moreover, South Africa is known to have a unique earthworm fauna which is yet to be fully documented, and as such building capacity to conduct earthworm research over the medium term is an urgent priority for natural resource management.

The first two PhD projects will involve assessments of the diversity and distribution of native and alien earthworms in several threatened biomes: fynbos, Afro-montane forest, grassland & savanna. This research will include detailed surveys of earthworms in landscape scale transects moving across land-use types including urban, peri-urban, agricultural and natural systems in two regions of South Africa: the Cape Floristic Region and in KwaZulu-Natal.

The third PhD will involve an assessment of the introduction of and trade in earthworms in South Africa. This work will assess which earthworms are currently being actively used in South Africa and appraise introduction routes (both deliberate and accidental) and current introduction rates by taking samples from vermiculture and other relevant industries (e.g. soil in potted plants used in horticulture). It will include an in-depth study of domestic vermicomposting (samples in gardens with different users who have practised vermicomposting over different number of years) and explore the socio-economic drivers of the industry. In collaboration with local authorities and stake-holders the project will produce guidelines for the public.

Key contacts

• Dr. Sandi Willows-Munro, University of KwaZulu-Natal, (willows-munro@ukzn.ac.za)
• Dr John Wilson, South African National Biodiversity Institute / Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (jrwilson@sun.ac.za)

Further reading:

• Copley, J. (2000) Ecology goes underground. Nature, 406, 452-454.
• Hendrix, P. F., Callaham, M. A., Drake, J. M., Huang, C. Y., James, S. W., Snyder, B. A. & Zhang, W. X. (2008) Pandora's Box contained bait: the global problem of introduced earthworms. Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics, 39, 593-613.
• Lavelle, P., Decaens, T., Aubert, M., Barot, S., Blouin, M., Bureau, F., Margerie, P., Mora, P. & Rossi, J. P. (2006) Soil invertebrates and ecosystem services. European Journal of Soil Biology, 42, S3-S15.
• Plisko, J. D. (2010). Megadrile earthworm taxa introduced to South African soils (Oligochaeta: Acanthodrilidae, Eudrilidae, Glossoscolecidae, Lumbricidae, Megascolecidae, Ocnerodrilidae). African Invertebrates 51, 289–312.
• Wardle, D. A., Bardgett, R. D., Klironomos, J. N., Setala, H., van der Putten, W. H. & Wall, D. H. (2004) Ecological linkages between aboveground and belowground biota. Science, 304, 1629-1633.

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Background

The North-East Pacific acorn barnacle Balanus glandula has recently been recognised as an invasive alien species along the South African coast (Simon-Blecher et al. 2008). Currently restricted to the west coast, this species occupies approximately 400km of coastline between Elands Bay and Misty Cliffs (Laird & Griffiths 2008). Despite recognition of this barnacle as a dominant species in the mid shore zone (Laird & Griffiths 2008), to date no information exists on the impacts of B. glandula on South African shores.

The spatial dominance of this alien leads to questions regarding what factors may be governing competitive interactions between B. glandula and indigenous barnacles. In other regions of the world Balaniod barnacles are often dominant on rocky shores due to their high relative growth rates, superior feeding mechanisms, tubiferous wall structure and very high fecundity (Hui & Moyse 1987). By the same token barnacle populations are often controlled by predation (Stanford & Swezey 2008).

Within the context of the B. glandula invasion of the South African west coast the following questions arise:

1. Why has predation pressure failed to prevent a rapid spread of B. glandula?
2. Does B. glandula show superior growth rates and shell condition than indigenous species?
3. What role do wave action and upwelling play in regulating competitive interactions between the various barnacle species?
4. Does B. glandula have a lower thermal tolerance than indigenous barnacles and is it able to survive on the south coast?

By considering these questions this project will provide an understanding of how B. glandula has achieved dominance of the mid-shore along the west coast while enabling predictions about the spread and potential impacts of this species along the south coast.

Key contacts

• Dr Tammy Robinson, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (trobins@sun.ac.za)

Further reading:

• Kado R 2003. Invasion of Japanese shores by the NE Pacific barnacle Balanus glandula and its ecological and biogeographical impact. Marine Ecology Progress Series 249: 199-206.
• Laird MC, Griffiths CL 2008. Present distribution and abundance of the introduced barnacle Balanus glandula Darwin in South Africa. African Journal of Marine Science 30: 93-100.
• Simon-Blecher N, Granevitze Z, Achituv Y 2008. Balanus glandula: from North-West America to the west coast of South Africa. African Journal of Marine Science 30: 85-92.
• Stanford E, Swezey DS 2008. Response of predatory snails to a novel prey following the geographic range expansion of an intertidal barnacle. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 354: 220-230.

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Background

This research will involve an assessment of social stratification (on an individual and/or institutional level) within South African science, as it applies to case of the production of scientific knowledge on the Antarctic region, by adopting a bibliometric research design. The student will assist in the collecting, cleaning and processing of data on peer-reviewed research articles on Antarctic-related topics, as well as on the authors of these articles. A scientometric analysis of the completed dataset will allow the student to answer one or more of a wide variety of both cross-sectional and longitudinal research questions relevant to the sociology of science. These include: To what extent has the demographic composition (in terms of gender, race and age) of producers of Antarctic-related papers changed over time? Which institutions have been most productive in terms of Antarctic-related science output, and have there been any changes over time in this regard? What is the extent of institutional collaboration on Antarctic-region research both within South Africa and between South African and overseas institutions? How does the “quality” or impact of South African Antarctic research, as measured by citation analysis, compare internationally? A concern with the issue of social stratification, which is central to the sociology of science, should inform the research objectives, and the theory of cumulative advantage could provide a very useful theoretical framework for data analysis and interpretation. This research will form part of a larger, multidisciplinary, NRF-funded project, undertaken by the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, and aimed at promoting South Africa’s Antarctic legacy, by creating a platform for social sciences, law and humanities research.

Key contacts

• Dr Heidi Prozesky, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (hep@sun.ac.za)

Further reading:

• Hess, D.J. 1997. The institutional sociology of science, in Science Studies: An Advanced Introduction. New York: New York University Press.
• Jeenah, M. & Pouris, A. 2008. South African research in the context of Africa and globally. South African Journal of Science, 104:351-354.
• Kahn, M, Vlotman, N., Steyn, C. and Van der Schyff, M. 2007. Innovation policy and higher education in South Africa: addressing the challenge. South African Review of Sociology 38(2): 176-190.
• Mouton, J. & Gevers, W. 2009. Introduction, in R. Diab & W. Gevers (eds.) The State of Science in South Africa. Pretoria: Academy of Science of South Africa.
• Pouris, A. 2007. The international performance of the South African academic institutions: a citation assessment. Higher Education, 54: 501-509.
• Prozesky, H.E. 2006. Gender differences in journal publication productivity among South African authors. South African Review of Sociology 37(2): 87-112.
• Prozesky, H.E. 2008. Sex differences in citations among South African invasion ecologists, 1990-2005. Paper presented at the conference “The politics of knowing: research, institutions and gender”, Prague, Czech Republic, 27-28 November 2008.
• Republic of South Africa. Department of Science and Technology. 2009. Facing the Facts: Women’s Participation in Science, Engineering and Technology. Pretoria: DST.
• Republic of South Africa. National Advisory Council on Innovation. 2008. Creating the Future South African National System of Innovation: Gender, Race and SET Sector Issues. Pretoria: NACI.

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Background

The WfW Programme follows a contractor development approach, according to which one aim is to train and empower its beneficiaries to become entrepreneurial, independent contractors. Recently, WfW has started to draft a policy that would allow them to engage with private land-users to eradicate invasive alien species on private land. This development implies that WfW’s contractors would be expected to tender for IAS-clearing contracts on private land, as well as interacting closely with private land-users. This will create a market for clearing IAS in the Western Cape in which contractors can be absorbed, and therefore has the potential to create future employment for WfW beneficiaries outside of what is currently provided by government. However, the degree to which contractors would be willing to avail themselves of this opportunity, as well as the extent to which contractors and private land-users would be able to co-operate successfully in the clearing of IAS, have not yet been considered empirically. A study on the barriers and challenges to working on private land from the contractors’ perspective would assist the WfW Programme in developing policy that would effectively guide their approach to the clearing of invasive alien species on private land.

Key contacts

• Dr Heidi Prozesky, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (hep@sun.ac.za)
• Mr. Jan Anton Hough, Stellenbosch University (14521520@sun.ac.za)

Further reading:

• Buch, A. & Dixon, A. 2008. South Africa’s Working for Water Programme: Searching for win–win outcomes for people and the environment. Sustainable Development, 17(3):129–141.
• Cichello, P.L. 2005. Hindrances to self-employment activity: evidence from the 2000 Khayelitsha/Mitchells’s Plain survey. Cape Town: Centre for Social Science Research.
• Magadlela, D. & Mdzeke, N. 2004. Social benefits in the Working for Water programme as a public works programme. South African Journal of Science, 100(1/2):94–96.
• Surender, R., Noble, M., Wright, G. & Ntshongwana, P. 2010. Social assistance and dependency in South Africa: an analysis of attitudes to paid work and social grants. Journal of Social Policy, 39(2):203-221.

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Background

This research would fall primarily within the ambit of science and technology studies, with a focus on the role scientific research on IAS plays with regard to agenda setting in environmental policy (within government, NGOs, industry, and/or academia), and/or environmental planning relating to IAS (on national and local levels). However, the diffusion of scientific knowledge on IAS (among the broader public, social movements, etc.) and/or a study on the mass-media coverage of the IAS issue may be of interest to students drawn to the sociology of communication. A detailed content analysis of a selection of articles contained in an existing database of almost two decades of South African research on IAS may serve as a foundation for such research.

Key contacts

• Dr Heidi Prozesky, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (hep@sun.ac.za)
• Prof Karen Esler, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (kje@sun.ac.za)

Further reading:

• Briggs S.V. 2006. Integrating policy and science in natural resources: why so difficult? Ecol Manage Restor 7:37–39
• Esler, K., Prozesky, H. E., Sharma, G. P. & McGeoch, M. 2010. How wide is the “knowing-doing” gap in invasion biology? Biological Invasions. Doi 10.1007/s10530-010-9812-x.
• Gibbons, P., Zammit, C., Youngentob, K et al. 2008. Some practical suggestions for improving engagement between researchers and policy-makers in natural resource management. Ecol Manage Restor 9:182–186
• Higgs, E. 2005. The two-culture problems: ecological restoration and the integration of knowledge. Restor Ecol 13: 159–164
• Larson, B. M. H. 2007. An alien approach to invasive species: objectivity and society in invasion biology. Biol Invasions 9:947–956
• Pohl, C. 2008. From science to policy through transdisciplinary research. Environ Sci Policy 11:46–53
• Roux, D.J., Rogers, K.H., Biggs, H.C. et al. 2006. Bridging the science-management divide: moving from unidirectional knowledge transfer to knowledge interfacing and sharing. Ecol Soc 11:4 [online] URL: http://www.ecologyand society.org/col11/iss1/art4/
• Shackleton, C., Cundhill, G., Knight, A. 2009. Beyond just research: experiences from southern Africa in developing social learning partnerships for resource conservation initiatives. Biotropica 41:563–570
• Shanley, P., López, C. 2009. Out of the loop: why research rarely reaches policy makers and the public and what can be done. Biotropica 41:535–544
• Shaw, J. D., Wilson, J. R. U., Richardson, D. M. 2010. Initiating dialogue between scientists and managers of biological invasions. Biol Invasions. doi:10.1007/s10530-010-9821-9

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Background

Invasive species are ultimately the result of human choices and actions, and humans have an important role to play (whether accidentally or intentionally) in determining which species grow where. As such, biodiversity value, particularly that of transformed environments, is a function of social variables. More directly, the ability to manage, for example, a river (including its water flow rates and flood prevention) is determined by how people view biodiversity. Students interested in social attitudes towards IAS could join students and staff at the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology in a long-term inter-disciplinary project on the management of “Stellenbosch University's River&rdquo, the Eerste River. This would imply linking their research to a a longitudinal case study of the changing stresses upon the river system, with a particular focus on an invasive alien plant, Acacia implexa. As changes in stresses are highly dependent on changes in attitudes and actions of the people who interact (whether intentionally or accidentally) with the river system, it is necessary to complement the time series of the biological data with social research aimed at answering questions such as the following: Which species are people growing, and how do they view the effect of their actions? How do they view efforts to control or manage particular species? What function they want the river to serve? Do they know the ecological state of the river? The student will therefore be expected to collect base-line data on people's perceptions and usage of the water-way, to allow for on-going assessments of changes in such orientations and behaviour. Ultimately, the research should also be aimed at informing practical management and to demonstrate potential, tangible actions related to the eradication of Acacia implexa.

Key contacts

• Dr Heidi Prozesky, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University (hep@sun.ac.za)

Further reading:

• Meek, C. S., Richardson, D. M. & Mucina, L. (2010) A river runs through it: Effects of land use on alien plant composition along a riparian corridor in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa. Conservation Biology, 143, 156-164.
• Simberloff, D. (2009) We can eliminate invasions or live with them: successful management projects. Biological Invasions, 11, 149–157.
• García-Llorente, M., Martín-López, B., González, J. A., Alcorlo, P. & Montes, C. 2008. Social perceptions of the impacts and benefits of invasive alien species: implications for management. Biological Conservation 141, 2969-2983.
• Kaiser, F. G. , Wölfing, S. & Fuhrer, U. (1999). Environmental Attitude and Ecological Behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 19, 1-19.
• Hunter, L. M. & Brehm, J. (2003) Qualitative insight into public knowledge of, and concern with, biodiversity. Human Ecology, 31, 309-320.

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